MOSCOW, May 3. /TASS/. Russian diplomats pay close attention to the vaccination of compatriots residing abroad with Russia’s vaccines, the director of the Foreign Ministry’s department for relations with compatriots abroad, Alexander Nurizade, told TASS in an interview.
"The compatriots are very much interested in the possibility of being vaccinated with Russian vaccines against COVID-19, and our diplomats pay the closest attention to these issues," he stressed.
Asked if compatriots abroad were coming to Russian embassies with requests for being vaccinated with Russian vaccines, Nurizade explained that even in the countries where the Russian vaccine was authorized in the national markets medical services to the population "cannot be regarded as a function of diplomatic missions," because this process implies the availability of medical personnel and the deployment of vaccination facilities.
"Russia’s offices abroad lack the medical competence and qualification of this sort. There are no provisions on this score in the international legal acts that govern diplomatic relations or in the laws of the host countries," Nurizade said.
"Currently the solution of this problem by and large depends on our comprehensive work to support Russian vaccine manufacturers in supplying the vaccines to other countries. Currently a number of countries have requested the vaccine for national programs to immunize the most vulnerable groups of the population. The Russian Foreign Ministry is focused on all-round promotion and geographical expansion of international cooperation by Russian organizations that are empowered to promote Russia’s covid vaccines to foreign markets," Nurizade said.